Cœur de Glace
by Ruby Casablanca
Summary: Regina was like the winter: her skin a bit too pale, her temperature a bit too cool, and her body a bit too blue with remnants of Elsa's ice still lodged in her chest.


A/N: Welcome to my first story with the OUAT fandom. Though I have followed the show religiously from the first episode, this is my first time actually writing for this fabulous fandom. The literal translation of the title from French is along the lines of "heart of ice" for those who are curious. Please, tell me what you think of my continuation of the S3 finale, and enjoy!

* * *

Cœur de Glace 

* * *

_I think I know enough of hate_

_To say that for destruction ice_

_Is also great_

_And would suffice._

_~ Robert Frost_

* * *

There is a new threat in town. Regina's not surprised; in fact she was expecting it. Emma was always the type to bring trouble; to knock all senses of order and complacency Regina had spent the last twenty years building down. And Regina was only jinxing herself by threatening Emma about bringing other things back from the past. Of course Emma would bring something else back other than the one thing that could ruin her happiness. Of course that one thing would be a raging frozen psychopath.

Regina wouldn't know anything else though. She's locked herself in her office day and night. It's safer in there where no one can hurt her. In that room, in the mayoral office, she held all the power. In there, she could pretend that things were like they were when she didn't have her heart or anyone that could break it. She liked to pretend she was still the Evil Queen, ruling over her oblivious people.

Now she wasn't either parts of her previous name.

She hadn't truly been evil since she first laid eyes on Henry. Taking care of him, mothering him, it changed her. And then there was all of the trauma, losing him over and over again: first to Emma, then to a curse, Emma again, Pan, the list went on and on. She had poisoned her own son. Locked him away and tried to kill his real mother and he still loved her. Henry still loved her despite her flaws; he was the reason she wasn't evil. He was the reason she changed her magic from dark to light. Always Henry. She would do anything for him.

And then there was Robin. He was like a swift wrecking ball to the tentative balance of happiness she had accustomed herself to. In a matter of days she found herself transfixed by him, impressed by him, protected by him, and then finally loved by him. Theirs was a love that had long since been coming from the day Tinkerbell showed her him in that tavern in the Enchanted Forest.

And now in her anger and hurt she couldn't even be evil if she tried. She was too tired to be consumed by that much rage again; she had wielded light magic for heaven's sake! She could try to be a queen, but what good was being queen if she had no people to rule? And without the evil or queen as her definer, then who was she at all?

She couldn't be the Mayor of Storybrook because she was so much more than a politician. But she was no longer cut out for the life she once led in the Enchanted Forest. She was something in between, and she didn't like the uncertainty of that.

But her whole life has always been uncertainty. Nothing about any of her plans were ever a hundred percent ensured. She just supposes now that for the first time, she is what is not ensured. In the past it was always a spell or a guard or a plan, never her own motive. Now she doesn't know what she does or why she does it. She simply wanders.

She blames her heart for everything. That organ was far too soft even as black as it was.

She never should've put it back in her chest.

* * *

They all crowd into her office a few evenings later. Snow, Charming, Emma, Hook. They're all there and shouting over one another for answers while she looks out the window, transfixed by her apple tree. There will be fresh fruit on the branches in a few weeks; she can tell by the drooping in the branches, the way they sagged just a little further than usual. That always used to make her happy…

"Regina?...Regina?"

Emma's voice called her out of her own world and back into the harshness of reality.

"Hmmm?" was all she could manage, her mind still whirling with her own demons.

"A little input would be nice. You know, for trying to stop this crazy witch and all."

In her own true fashion, Emma held her hands on her hips, her lips pursed in their trademark "won't take any shit from anyone" frown that Regina didn't have the heart or gall to tell her had lost its touch. The Charming couple looked just as determined and antsy as their daughter, huddled together, looking up at her like she held all the answers. At least Hook had the decency to look slightly uninterested. At least she didn't feel as alone. And really she understood why they were so frantic; in the back of her mind somewhere she knew that she was concerned that her town was being frozen over slowly, that her citizen were being turned into popsicles. And she knew that she needed to be more worried about stopping the threat…it was that she just couldn't make herself do it. Not when there was something far more important on her mind…

But, unlike with Zelena, she did have all the answers this time, and people whether they knew it or not were going to depend on her now more than ever. Regina almost missed being in control of the situation, of knowing exactly what she was up against. But the other part of her wished that for once something could be totally out of her control. That for once she didn't have to be in the center of a maelstrom that was created by her own hand.

But no one was interested in her semantics. They only wanted answers, so answers she would give.

"She's not a witch. Her name is Elsa, the Snow Queen. She used to rule a small kingdom named Arendelle. And she's looking for me."

Regina recited more than spoke those lines, every word laden with resignation. No one missed that, not even the Charmings.

"And how do you know that?" Emma asked, surprise evident in her voice.

"We have a…_complicated _history."

"Really? Define complicated," Emma started again, this time much more skeptically. Regina could almost see the gears turning in Emma's head as she tried to piece two and two together, drawing lines from east to west in attempts to pin Regina as the bad guy. Because that is what everyone assumed. Once a villain, always a villain.

But oh, the things she could tell Emma. She could tell Emma the truth. She could tell her how she cursed a little girl no older than eight with the ability to freeze anything she touched just because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She could tell Emma how she cursed that girl's power to grow as she grew; how that power lead to the death of everyone and anyone she ever cared about. How she had taken that girl's sister away and held her as prisoner until she came to get her, and when she came, how she provoked her into attack. How in that attack the girl ended up freezing her own sister's heart. How she watched that girl hold her sister as she turned to ice and die in her arms. How she used that weakness to imprison her in an urn and hold her in Rumplestiltskin's vault.

Yes, Regina could tell Emma all those things, but she wouldn't. That was the old her, the evil her, the evil she could no longer be. If she was still that kind of evil, everyone facing her would have perished by now for the pain they had inflicted on her…not like they noticed. They were all happy. They only needed her to protect their happiness. And she would, not that she could tell them why.

"Does it matter?" Regina chooses instead of the truth. "She's after me; she doesn't want you. You are all safe."

"How can you be so sure?" Emma questions. Always the skeptic. Always the downer. Regina could almost respect that…almost.

"I just am. I'll take care of her, you have my word."

"Regina this is crazy," This time it is Charming who speaks up, clearly against any plan just made. Not like it surprises her. Regina wondered how long David's misplaced sense chivalry and honor could take a back seat before rearing their overly-obnoxious heads. It takes all she has not to roll her eyes or cast a silence curse over him as he continues on his self-righteous rant. "Do you hear yourself? You can't take her on alone; she's turning everyone she sees into ice! It's suicide!"

Ever the hero if there was one.

"While I appreciate your concern, it's not needed. Like I said, I'll take care of her," she replied, much more coolly than before. She was growing tired of having company; the stress of arguing and conflict mixed with her own warring emotions and thoughts was just too much. She needed everyone to trust her for once and _go away_. "Now just…go back to your families – all of you – and stop pestering me."

At first she thinks that she's only made things worse. There are looks shot from all, and they are not the kindest – the types that only scream mistrust and skepticism. She knows she leaves much to be desired, but she feels as if they could at least grant her some small mercy. And like some sort of miracle, they actually listen. Of course Emma is always one to dilly dally and outstay her welcome, but by the time she is the last one out the door, Regina's mind is already clearer…well, as clear as the circumstance allows.

She spends the rest of her evening staring at the apple tree. If she were more adventurous she would walk outside and see the fruits budding for herself. But the garden seems so far away and strangely out of reach, just like all the other pretty things that wander into her life.

* * *

Regina knows she is coming. She can feel it in the air, how dry it's turning by the second. How her breath starts fogging in front of her. How her tree that started to show the first hints of bright crimson fruits starts to grow frost, the tiny sparks of life shriveling and falling like stones.

She knows it's coming before she hears it. And she does hear it: the cacophonous clash of her front door exploding open. Then she feels it: the fierce gust of icy wind that tears through her home. There's the clack of heels on her marble floors which had all but frozen over as well. Her home had been turned into a winter wonderland in all but a few moments. If she were anyone else she would admire the handiwork of her curse. But all she can feel is a sinking lethargy. She knows why this woman came; she knows how this meeting will end.

Regina is still staring out her splintering window at her now-icy tree when the Snow Queen enters her office room. It's much cozier than her office in the city, but she always preferred it. It was her place to be alone with her thoughts. Now it would be a proper place to end them.

"Hello Regina," came the cold voice behind her, the venom there unmistakable but not misplaced. Regina deserved everything she got.

Slowly, she turned to face the intruder. The girl had turned into a beautiful woman, but there was no trace of the young girl she once was. Her eyes were too hard and her skin to taught and riddled with lines to be carefree like it should be at her age. And it was all Regina's fault. So she would give the woman, her victor, what she wanted. It was all she could do.

"You're here to kill me," Regina stated simply, not even trying to defend herself. The Queen was obviously confused by this, thinking it was a trick, but Regina made no move to attack. She simply stood and waited.

"What, you won't even put up a fight?"

"What's the point?"

"You're right. There is none," she sneered at Regina, her blue eyes blazing with pure hatred. Their skin brushed for a brief moment, Elsa's shoulder across Regina's as she crossed to the other end of the room. Sparks of tension shot off them both, and for a moment Regina thought that Elsa was just going to leave her house and walk out the way she came. But she turned as she neared the exit, arm extended and fingertips exploding with the beginnings of flurries.

Regina closed her eyes as she braced herself for what was to come next. She was used to the burn of fire or the breathless sensation of being thrown around. She thought she knew all the maladies of magic.

But this, this was like a dull knife slicing slowly into her chest, ripping her half until it buried itself in her heart. She could feel the icy burn of frostbite eat into her heart, solidifying it until it could no longer beat. Her blood ran cold as the ice travelled deeply through her veins, freezing her in place. Her body locked as it froze, making her fall rigid to the ground.

There was a loud crunching noise as her frame made contact with the floor, and she wondered what she had shattered. Surely she could still feel that…her fingers still moved, popping and cracking her skin as they moved with great effort. She tried to reach out for anything, seeking out warmth as her teeth chattered and her eyelashes collected a small dusting of frost. All she got was another hand in hers, a petite one that was far too pale to be anyone but Elsa's.

Surely enough the Snow Queen peered over her as she gasped for air that wasn't full of snow and ice. Her face was a mix of obscene satisfaction and discontentment.

"I'm rather disappointed it ended this way Regina…" she started, sighing wearily as she took in her handiwork. "I was at least hoping you would try and defend yourself. But don't get me wrong…I'm enjoying watching you freeze _immensely_."

She leaned in closer to her, resting a hand on her aching, throbbing heart. The dull pain grew sharp as Elsa pressed down hard on her chest. If Regina could have screamed, she would have.

"Your heart was already frozen. I was just helping it along…"

She patted her chest and stood up, her cape swishing over Regina's body as she turned away.

"They say an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart…how beautiful," Elsa told Regina wistfully, twirling a bit in the process. She cast her pale blue eyes onto equally pale blue skin and sighed, "If only there was someone here who loved you," the Snow Queen laughed as she left Regina gasping on the ground.

Regina needed to move, to get somewhere warm. She needed to heat herself up and then everything would be fine.

But it wouldn't.

In her heart of hearts she knew that there was no curing this. There was no one left to call who could help her. No one left who could love her.

Henry, there was always Henry… but what good could she do for him. He was better off without her: his mother who could only bring strife like Elsa to this town and into his life. And besides, he had Emma to love. She was better off freezing.

The town would rejoice in her death. Rumplestiltskin would finally go unrivaled. All would be well.

_Yes_, she thought as her world faded from sight. She was better off freezing.

* * *

The first thing she could register after the darkness was the intense white light that was filling her vision until she saw spots. It was overpowering, that much light. And the heat that came with it, oh it burned like a fire deep in her lungs and all through her body. Everything was on fire within her, and she thought for a brief moment that she had finally gone to hell like she had always thought she would. It was what she deserved, to be eaten by flames for the rest of her days. Served her right for all the damage she had done to everyone in her life. Maybe she would get to see her mother, endure Cora's wrath for ages to come…it would only serve her right.

"_Mom!" _

The sound of Henry's voice filled her ears, a sound that she never thought she would hear again. But as happy as she was to hear it, she wondered how. She had only just died…he couldn't speak with her this soon. Nothing made sense at all.

She tried to call his name but her voice was caught in her throat, her pipes too iced over to make a sound. But the liquid dripped down slowly as she thawed.

She could feel her whole being warming with something incredible. Not like the fires she could feel in the rest of her, but in her heart she could feel herself radiating something far more powerful, something that was chasing away the burn. Something that felt as powerful as love.

"Mom!" Henry called louder, his voice becoming clearer as the burn faded away. She felt like she was flying, rising up high from the ground and into the light. It surrounded her, growing brighter and brighter until it was nothing but pure nothing.

And then there was everything.

Sounds, smells, touches, sights. All of her senses flooded her in a split second as her whole body arched off the melting floors gasping for breath. The ice that still lined her throat flaked off as she rasped for air, but she didn't get very far before she was tackled by a pair of thin arms followed by a mop of brown hair.

Henry.

It took her a second to register that he was hugging her, but she held on as tightly as she could every moment after. Her eyes, though frozen and dry, were swimming with tears as she grasped at her son. He was her everything, and she was safe in his arms. He found her; he loved her. And she knew in that moment that he was the one who had saved her.

After a few minutes, she knew she had to let him go. He pulled back, his own eyes full of tears. She felt her feeble heart break at the sight of him crying.

"Mom…we thought you were dead…" he tried, hiccupping a bit.

"We?" she asked, genuinely confused.

"Yeah, we," came the voice of Emma Swan. For once, the Savior didn't look so high and mighty. Instead she looked genuinely terrified, looking at Regina like she was seeing a ghost. "So much for handling her on your own."

Regina ignored that obvious jab as she scanned her ruined house. What once was ice had started to melt and had left puddles upon puddles of water all over the place. But what was more concerning was the number of people there with her. Not only had Emma and Henry come, but the Charming's, Hook, Belle, and Rumplestiltskin were all there. So many people…all for her.

"I…I don't understand. Why are you all here?"

"Well, you didn't think we'd let you freeze did you?" Mary Margaret asked as lightly as she could. The smile on her face was genuine, and Regina hardly knew how to respond.

They were all there for her_. For her_. She could hardly fathom that. That she could be so important to everyone around her was something she could not being to understand. She had hurt them and harmed them and cursed them to hell and back, but still they stood around her, eager and happy to see her breathing. It was disconcerting and comforting all at the same time.

"Looks like you are more important than you think dearie," Rumple told her as he came forward, extending his hand when she wobbled to get up. For once, his face held no trace of contempt, only truth and, dare she say, a little bit of relief.

Henry attached himself at her hip the moment she could stand. She had to have been cold; she was frozen solid only moments ago, but that didn't seem to faze her son. He stuck by her as she took a few steps, testing out her thawed form. Everything ached but that would fade with time.

And for one shining moment she was overjoyed. It hurt to smile, her skin still chapped and peeling from the harsh condition it was previously in, but she smiled anyway. It was all she could do not to. Because in that shining moment she felt loved.

But then she saw him, and all that fell away.

Robin. He was there, standing alone in the corner. No Roland. No Marian. Just him. And when their eyes locked it was like a fire had ignited between them, sparking in the air and sending electricity through the air. She could see it in his eyes: the fear and elation and love present there. And it was addictive, wonderful and perfect and she craved that energy like she craved Henry's presence at her side: strong and bright and promising.

But then he looked down, his eyes growing darker and more confused as his brows knit. The storm turned dark and the energy went wild and rough. Everything was awry. The one second to perfection was ruined, and she fought not to suck in a low breath. She wanted nothing more than to go to him and make him look at her like he just did, with all that passion and concern.

But that wasn't meant to be. He had Marian. He had his family back, and she had no place to intervene in their happiness, as much as that killed her to accept.

And in that moment she knew that there would have been one bonus to keeping her heart frozen: that she would never have to feel that kind of pain again. Love, what a vicious curse it was. That was one ache she knew would never fade.

* * *

He finds her hours afterwards on the part of her balcony that wasn't ruined by Elsa's little attack. Her back is to him, her hair blowing gently in the warm wind, and he tries to pretend that he doesn't still see shards of ice fall out in the process.

"Regina," he calls to her. He can see her shoulders bunch up at the sound of his voice, but he still continues out onto the balcony. "There you are. I was starting to get worried that you'd gotten yourself into trouble again."

She still hasn't turned to face him by the time he reaches her side. From her profile he can tell she is smiling, but it seems to take all her effort and doesn't quite make it to her eyes.

"I was just trying to clear my head," she replies simply, finally looking at him, but not bringing herself to make eye contact.

"We are working on catching Elsa…Emma actually has a pretty decent plan on how to get her back into her urn."

"That's good…" she replies half-heartedly, her mind a million miles away. He tries to follow her gaze; perhaps she was taking in the wreckage around her yard, but in fact she was looking nowhere of consequence, lost in another world all her own.

He could feel her slipping away from him and rapidly, so he reaches out to gently take her chin, lifting it so he could see her better. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Even though she knew he only meant well, Regina shakes her head, breaking his contact and shuffling a bit out of the way. She was avoiding him and he knew it; she'd been doing it for a while now and he wanted to know why, even if he already had a good idea.

"Nothing, nothing is wrong."

Lies, all of it. He could hear it in the waver of her voice, in the way she was picking at an imaginary crack in the marble of her railing. Something was eating her from the inside out, something other than the ice she had just removed.

"I wish you would talk to me Regina. Please, just tell me what's wrong. You can trust me," he pleaded.

To her ears, his words sound like the funniest opposition to the truth. The laugh that peals from her raw, burning throat is broken and laced with fear. How could she trust the man who broke her heart long before it was frozen?

"But I can't," she replied incredulously with glassy eyes.

Robin was scared; he'd never seen Regina so openly emotional. He had seen her in her moment of weakness in the woods over her mother's letter, but that had been the extent. He had never seen the alleged "Evil Queen" so openly, and the openness caught him off guard with its honesty.

"What?"

"I did trust you, with my heart. And you cast it aside like…like it was nothing," Regina practically accuses him, fighting away the tears that gathered at the edges of her eyes. He had the sudden urge to reach out and brush them away, those and all the tears to come. But he knew that, at this moment, his touch would not be welcome, not when she was looking at him like he had scorned her in the worst possible way.

"That-that's not true! Regina I never-" Robin stuttered, taking a step back as Regina crossed her arms across her chest defensively.

"Please, you can save me the excuses. It'll save a lot of time if we're both honest here."

"I am being honest Regina. What you are accusing me of, I never did!"

They were at a standoff, Robin with his hands raised in surrender and Regina leaned against the railing, her head bowed low. When she raised it, he noted a pained smile across her lips. She tilted her head back to the sky, and for a brief second, he thought she was going to fall backwards off the balcony. But instead she spoke softly out into the open night.

"It's fine. I can't blame you. You have the love of your life back, your family back. If it was David who was brought back instead of Marian, I would do the same thing."

Oh. _Oh._

He was an idiot. A fool. A moron. That was why Regina felt like he had betrayed her, why she was looking at him like he was going to hurt her. Because he had hurt her. And now he needed to make things right.

"Regina…" he starts softly, his entire demeanor changed. But her rambling cuts him off. It was like a dam had burst and it wasn't going to stop flowing until every last word had been spoken.

"And it's not even like I can blame Emma. There was a time when I would have, but not anymore. She was only doing what she thought was right. And she was right. The only person I can blame is myself. Tinkerbell was right. Everything is my fault."

"What are you talking about?" Robin asked. He had been following fairly well before the whole Tinkerbell thing had come up. Regina just sighed and blinked rapidly, refusing to meet his gaze but instead boring holes into the cement of the balcony as she soldiered through her tale.

"When I was younger, after Daniel had died, a fairy named Tinkerbell told me that I could have another chance at true love. And of course, I couldn't believe her; I didn't believe I could love anyone as much as I loved Daniel. But she used her magic to lead me to my true love. It took me to a tavern, to a man with a lion tattoo. I could've gone in, could've said hello. Could've run away and lived happily ever after. But I was afraid – afraid of my mother, afraid that I didn't deserve another chance. So I left."

Her eyes fluttered shut as she let out a shaky breath, tears collecting on her lashes before one fell down her flushed cheek. He finally let his urges overcome him and reached out to cup that cheek, brushing the wet track away. She looked too vulnerable crying, and it broke his heart to see her so plainly without any walls to hold her back.

Her lips curved up into a tensed weak smile. She still had yet to open her eyes, but she let in a breath and continued speaking.

"When I got back, I told Tinkerbell that she was wrong…I lied to her, hurt her. All because I was afraid. And she told me that I was hurting whoever I had left behind, but I was so _selfish_. As long as I was safe I didn't care."

She opened her watery eyes, the brown of her irises far too heavy for his liking.

"But I suppose things worked out well for him in the end. He has a son who loves him very much, and a true love of his own," her voice was breaking at the end. He could feel the weight of her words, how they must have settled deep within her long ago, and he could barely contain his own anguish as she forced herself to continue. "What place do I have to interfere with that? I lost that right long ago."

He fought to keep the tremors out of his voice as he steadied himself.

"If what you are saying is true, then you have every right."

"No. I've interfered with your happiness for too long. I won't ruin anything else," Regina insists, pulling away from him, but he wouldn't let her. He was so tired of her trying to run away. Not this time.

"You're not ruining anything," He insists on his own, putting as much certainty and assurance in his words as he could. One wrong word could cost him this woman's already fragile heart, and he didn't know if he would forgive himself if he did it any more damage, or worse, lost it entirely.

"I can't…I can't be the Evil Queen anymore. I can't…" Regina continues, practically babbling anything to persuade him otherwise.

"But I'm not in love with the Evil Queen."

He was met instantaneously with wide brown eyes full of emotion, and not all positive. He knew that part of her thought that was the rejection she had been searching for, had been bracing herself for. But there was a smaller part of her that he knew was confused. And even smaller was the tiny spark of hope lit just around the edges that brought the woman he knew and admire and genuinely _loved_ to light.

He softens his gaze and moves his hands to her arms to steady her where she stood, slightly shaking.

"I'm in love with Regina Mills, the Mayor of Storybrook, Henry's mother, the most heroic woman I know."

"But you can't be...Marian, she-" Regina stuttered, looking utterly confused.

"-Is not my true love," he finishes for her, finding her confusion slightly adorable. Every tiny weakness of hers he found himself loving.

"I don't understand…" she continues, turning her head away, brows knit in tight concentration. He knew her enough to know that at that moment she was wracking her mind for any single instance where she could have misread or missed something between himself and Marian. But he knew she would get nothing from berating herself, so he brought her face back up by the chin again, making sure their eyes locked this time.

"It's like you said. You were led to a tavern to fall in love with a man with a lion tattoo," he releases one of his hands to pull up his sleeve, exposing the old crest on his arm.

"Yes…" Regina mumbled, reaching down to subconsciously trace that tattoo with her fingers. He smiled a little bit at that before cupping her cheeks, caressing the skin there as means of assurance.

"Well true love works both ways. Just because you ran away doesn't mean that fate changed its mind. We both just had to wait a while…" he elaborates, trying to get her to understand. "And don't be mistaken; I love Marian. She is the mother of my son, and I will always care for her, but time and distance…and _you_...have made the both of us realize that what we had, while it was pure while it lasted, was not true love. She can only care for Roland…and I am in love with another."

It was like those words had fixed Regina on the spot. She was frozen in a much different way now, her eyes permanently wide in unspoken shock. It was almost comical, the way her perfectly red lips fell partly open as well in a soundless gasp. She was obviously taken aback, and he clearly needed to explain himself as simply as he could.

"Time doesn't always make the heart grow fonder…" he continues as he tries to lighten the situation. However he quickly sobers, knowing this was no time to joke. This situation was make-or-break with Regina, and he could already feel her teetering on the edge starting to fall away from him. This was the time to be serious, to lay all his cards out on the table and face the music. "Regina, nothing can compare to what I feel for you. My love for you is true; I know it. Can you say the same for me?"

For one long moment, an all-encompassing silence threatens to smother him to death. Maybe she wasn't going to say anything at all. Maybe she was going to tell him to go to hell. He didn't know, and for the first time in a long time, he could barely get a read on her blank expression.

But in the next moment he feels the tension leave her lungs with a low sigh as she leans in and whispers absolutely breathless, "Yes."

Any response he would have formed was cut off as she leaned up on her toes to press her lips to his. They were a bit chapped and chilled, but to him they were perfect. He loved everything about her, the way she moved against him, the way they molded together like they were made for one another. If this was what true love was then he never wished to leave her embrace.

His hands found purchase on her waist, drawing her in closer to him. She could never be close enough, and all he wanted to do was chase away the lingering cold until she felt like her skin was fire as he did. Everything on him was burning in the best kind of way, right from the pit of his stomach to the tips of his toes. Somehow, by the way she was winding her fingers in his short hair and smiling against their embrace, he knew that she felt the same.

It would take time, lots and lots of time before she could really open herself to him – until she could bare all her sins and her soul to him. And it would take time for her to trust him fully again, for her to let him inside her private places. For now, Regina was still like the winter. Her skin would remain a bit too pale, her temperature a bit too cool, and remnants of Elsa's ice would stay lodged in her chest. But no one would be too concerned this time.

In time, winter would yield to spring and the ice would melt away and the sun would warm every corner of the world and those who lived in it.

In time, he would thaw her frozen heart.


End file.
